CHICAGO – Food poisoning causes
48 million illnesses in the U.S. each year, and most recently more than 300
Midwesterners were sickened by an outbreak of cyclospora, a foodborne pathogen. The Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics encourages everyone to reduce their risk with simple safety steps
from www.HomeFoodSafety.org and by
downloading the free Is My FoodSafe? mobile app.

“While
there are no guarantees in life, you can drastically reduce your risk of food
poisoning with a few simple safety steps, from washing your hands and produce
to cooking meats to a safe minimum internal temperature,” said registered
dietitian nutritionist and Academy Spokesperson Libby Mills.

The
Academy’s award-winning HomeFoodSafety.org
website and Is My Food Safe? mobileapp are free resources provided by the Home Food Safety program - a
collaboration between the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and ConAgra Foods.
Since the launch of the app in August 2012, it has already been downloaded
20,000 times on Apple and Android devices.

“You
can’t rely upon color, taste or smell alone to determine if a food is safe to
eat,” Mills said. “The Is My Food Safe? app is a great tool for identifying
expired foods and safely cooking pretty much any type of meat: hamburgers,
pork, chicken, game meat and even exotic meats and poultry.”

“Don’t
let your health and the health of your guests be determined by guesswork in food
preparation and storage,” Mills said. “This app should be your number-one
companion in the kitchen, offering simple home food safety steps that can
reduce your risk.”

·ASK AN EXPERT Find out more about
food safety from registered dietitian nutritionists—the food and nutrition experts.

According
to registered dietitian Barbara Ivens, senior nutrition director at ConAgra
Foods, the app is especially useful for those who are more vulnerable to the
effects of food poisoning.

“Certain
populations may be at far greater risk of developing serious illness with
long-term effects, making safe food preparation even more important for these
high-risk groups or those preparing foods for them.”

Ivens
said those at greater risk includes infants; young children; pregnant women and
their unborn babies; older adults and those with weakened immune systems and
chronic illness such as diabetes and kidney disease; those with HIV/AIDS and some
cancer patients.

For more tips on reducing your risk of food poisoning
while preparing foods safely in the kitchen, at the grill or even in the
office, visit www.HomeFoodSafety.org.

All registered
dietitians are nutritionists – but not all nutritionists are registered
dietitians. The Academy’s Board of Directors and Commission on Dietetic
Registration have determined that those who hold the credential registered
dietitian (RD) may optionally use “registered dietitian nutritionist” (RDN)
instead. The two credentials have identical meanings.

The Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics and ConAgra Foods’ Home Food Safety program is
dedicated to raising consumer awareness about the seriousness of food poisoning
and providing solutions for easily and safely handling food in their own
kitchens. More information can be found at www.homefoodsafety.org.

The
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association)
is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The
Academy is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the
profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. To locate a
registered dietitian in your area, visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
at www.eatright.org.